


Do You Believe in Angels?

by Zodiac



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Character Death, Drabble, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-19
Updated: 2013-07-19
Packaged: 2017-12-20 16:05:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/889191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zodiac/pseuds/Zodiac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Due to Rhyme being legitimately erased during the Long Game, the Higher Plane has since decided that her continued existence afterwards should not be. As punishment for his treason, they have sent Sanae Hanekoma to carry out their will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do You Believe in Angels?

This was not supposed to happen. Was never supposed to happen, according to _them_ , anyway. Now, all the newly-Fallen Angel could do to prevent himself from being erased was to clean up his previous mistake.

It was quite difficult to find his target when she was not in the presence of her bull-headed brother, whose stubbornness and unwilling attitude would only complicate matters. However, being able to vibe up to the UG to escape a large deal of the public eye made his, admittedly rather stalkerish, job of finding her alone far easier than it would have been otherwise. Although, it certainly would not make his next task any easier, especially seeing as she and the rest of the Long Game gang had been routinely visiting his cafe after said event.

The person who was Sanae Hanekoma’s objective? Rhyme Bito. His current assignment, straight from the Higher Plane itself? Her erasure.

The feathered fools figured that her continued existence was an abhorrence of nature and, as such, needed to be put to an end. So, what better candidate was there other than the one who had pieced her soul back together in the first place?

So, here was where the Angel had currently found himself, prowling down an unusually-empty Shibuyan sidewalk in pursuit of his mark, waiting for the right time to reveal himself.

Fortunately for him, the current traffic, both on foot and vehicular, in the area was scarce enough for him to reveal himself to the girl walking ahead of himself, increasing his pace slightly and allowing the ‘flop’ of his sandals hitting the concrete to be heard. That sound caught the girl’s attention and she turned around to face the source, giving the man behind her a radiant smile, innocent and full of familiarity towards him.

He found it ironic that he was going to extinguish that smile in the name of beings that called themselves ‘good’…

"Oh, Mister Hanekoma," She began in that ever-cheerful voice of hers, a cheerful little slice of Heaven for one undeserving of such brightness. “it’s nice to see you. Any particular reason why you’re outside your cafe today?"

A strained smile spread of his own spread across the barista’s face at the light crack made at his tendency to remain within his cafe more often than not. “Yeah, I’m out and about for a little… errand." He admitted, not able to lie to the girl he had brought back to life with his own hands.

The girl blinked up at him curiously, unaware of the dire implications behind the word, though noticing how nervous the older man seemed to be around her. How odd, she thought, that such a laid-back person like Sanae would be nervous over a simple task. With the wanting to eliminate some of his clear anxiety in mind, she clasped her hands together behind her back and inquired, “An errand? Can I help, Mister Hanekoma?"

Oh, how that innocent offer for help would be so wrongly accepted. Taking in a deep breath first, he sighed out his response. “Actually, it does have to do with you."

Blonde eyebrows arched up in surprise at that, their owner tilting their home slightly in confusion as to exactly what the older man could possibly want her for. “It does?" She repeated after him before adding on, “Then surely I can help with it."

Several moments of silent deliberation passed by after the suggestion was offered before a reluctant, “If you’re willing," slipped out.

"Well, I am." She insisted, reaching her hands to enclose one of his, gazing up at him with determination set upon her features. “So tell me what I can do to help you."

The sudden hand-holding was definitely surprising, but certainly not unwelcome. Afterall, it had been perhaps years since he had actually felt the warmth living creatures suffused and that particular sensation was undoubtedly accepted. As to why she did such a thing, he figured he was meant to lead her to wherever she could aid him, which she probably thought was just a grocery store or something of the sort. Rather than do that or anything of the like, he instead lead her to a nearby bench, seating himself on it before beckoning her to follow suit. “Before I explain what I need of you, I believe a bit of story time is in order. First, a question. Do you believe in Angels?"

Feet alternatively kicking up and down at the air between them and the ground, the blonde replied, “You mean the protectors and guardians and such with wings? Um, well, after going through the Game and seeing everything in it, I’m not really sure what myths and legends are fake or not."

Letting a flat chuckle escape from his throat, he lifted a hand to rub at the back of his neck. “Yeah, the Game tends to change peoples’ outlook on life in more than one way. Well," Pausing for a moment, he quickly glanced to either side, looking out for anyone other than his intended audience possibly hearing his next words, “I’ll let you in on a secret; Angels do exist, though most of them aren’t the peaceful little guardians of mankind that lore makes them out to be."

After that information slipped out, the girl had far too many questions straining to be released to the world. ‘What do you mean? Why do you know this? Why are you telling me this?’ were among the few questions that managed to leave before she found a slim finger pressing her lips shut.

The Angel honestly pitied the poor mortal before him; to be given another chance at life only to have it taken away just as quickly is truly an awful occurrence indeed. He figured that, before dying once more, she at least deserved to know the truth behind her soon-to-be murder.

"The Angels do their duties as God’s servants to protect mankind, yes, but they focus more on humanity as a whole rather than individuals- ‘sacrifices must be made for the greater good’ and all that garbage. They’re also far… harsher in their methods than what most believe them to be."

She just stared up at the man explaining such secretive concepts to her as though it was merely second nature to him, synapses in her brain jolting and locking together a hypothesis of what exactly he was before a final, fearful, "…Why?" breathed out onto the finger still pressed to her lips.

Rather than answering the question posed, the barista sighed, reaching his free hand down to dig into his pocket, closing his hand around the object within. “I am truly sorry, but… orders are orders, no matter how distasteful they may be." From within the confines of cloth, he drew out a folding knife, flicking the sharp edge from its trappings, up towards cheeks trembling slightly and eyes widened by terror. "…So sorry…"

The final thing Rhyme Bito laid eyes upon was the evidence that would prove her unspoken theory correct; alabaster wings that reached skyward, their purity stained by her own spilt blood.


End file.
